FaceTime

aceTime is Apple's video calling service. It allows anyone with a recent iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to make free calls to any other Apple user over Wi-Fi or cellular connection. On the iPhone, FaceTime is bundled into the Phone app. On the iPod touch, iPad, and Mac, FaceTime is a separate app. On all devices, FaceTime can connect to any Apple-registered iPhone phone number or email address. That makes it perfect for keeping in touch with family who lives far away, with the kids while traveling, with business partners at distant offices, or even with that special someone while shopping for the perfect gift.

With iOS 7, Apple added FaceTime Audio as a way to make voice calls over the same network.

Apple originally announced that they would release FaceTime as an open standard so that third parties to create FaceTime for Android, FaceTime for PC, etc. So far, that hasn't happened. Apple was sued by a patent troll of FaceTime and, after losing on appeal, Apple has been re-architecting FaceTime to work through relay servers. (This could be why FaceTime was never released — it would be subject to the same patent trolling on any other platform.)

All FaceTime

Parental Controls, also known as Restrictions, let you manage which features, apps, and content your kids can and can't access on the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. That includes disabling access to Safari, Camera, FaceTime, Siri, AirDrop, CarPlay, and more. With those restrictions in place, you...

The best voice calling apps for iPad that let you call all over the world, no actual phone needed!
Looking for the best iPad apps to let you make audio and video calls? Apple doesn't include a Phone app on the iPad, and maybe that's just as well. Do we really need to see people with 7.9- or 9....

If you're being stalked, spammed, pranked, or otherwise abused over iMessage or FaceTime, you can block that contact and prevent them from bothering you ever again, even on your Mac. It's simple, it's easy, and it's oh-so-gratifying. If there's an especially annoying someone you've been waiting...

When Steve Jobs first announced FaceTime for the iPhone 4 back in 2010, he said not only was it based on open standards, but that Apple would be releasing the FaceTime protocol itself as an open standard. That would allow third parties to create FaceTime clients for Android, Windows, BlackBerry,...

Andrew Youssef has passed away, according to Rolling Stone. Youssef was the Nine Inch Nails fan that NIN frontman Trent Reznor used FaceTime to connect with at a Las Vegas show in November.
Youssef was a hospital pharmacist and concert photographer who suffered from colon cancer. His desire to...

Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor took the stage over the weekend in Las Vegas as part of his Tension tour, but his iPhone took center stage during one point in the performance, reports Mashable.
Reznor used the iPhone to FaceTime with Andrew Youssef, a concert photographer and Nine Inch Nails...

Just when you thought the iPhone 5c would be internally, atomically the same as last year's iPhone 5, Apple went and gave it the same FaceTime HD camera boost as the new, flagship iPhone 5s. That means bigger pixels and a back illuminated sensor (BSI) that gets the wires out of the way and - your...

iMessage and FaceTime are wonderful, empowering, enabling technologies that... can frustrate the crap out of you at times. One of those times is when you update or restore your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to a new operating system - like millions of people just did with iOS 7 - and it stops...

Way back in 2010 when FaceTime was first announced alongside the iPhone 4, Steve Jobs said that Apple would be releasing it as an open standard, presumably so other companies could make compatible clients on other platforms, and the world could video chat in harmony. But that never happened....

Apple's FaceTime is a built-in way for anyone on a recent iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to quickly, easily make and receive video calls. It's been a boon to long distance families and relationships, traveling lovers and parents, and those who use sign language alike. Sometimes, however, you're...

Apple has released the latest in their "Every Day" series of commercials, this time moving on to FaceTime. Following the theme of "Music Every Day" and "Photos Every Day", this latest spot shows different people in a variety of different situations connecting with their friends and family using...

With iOS 7, Apple is adding the ability to block people from reaching - especially disturbing or otherwise harassing - you via the phone, FaceTime, and Messages. One of the downsides of the constant connectivity we enjoy on the iPhone is constant availability, and while it's annoying when people...

FaceTime audio has been jokingly referred to since its WWDC 2013 introduction by some, as the phone. While this may be amusing to some, the wider picture is something potentially more important. In adding audio only calling to FaceTime, Apple has created their own Skype. And, with it, opened up...

A plea for more unified, more functional, more reliable, more compatible, and more competitive messaging on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
iMessage and FaceTime today do pretty much what they did years ago at launch. While it's hard to say they've been neglected, Apple hasn't prioritized them to the...

iMessage and Facetime are both down for some users. According to Apple, the outage started just a little after 3 PM Eastern Time. There is not yet an ETA on when the issues will be resolved. For more information, check Apple’s system status page.
Are Facetime and iMessage out for you?
Source:...

Instead of media and markets continuously hounding Apple about "what's next?!", there's a case to be made that Apple has already announced several services that could do with a little -- or a lot -- of their attention. It might not be as magical or revolutionary as a fresh name on a big slide,...

Everything you need to know about setting up and using FaceTime video calling on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac
FaceTime is Apple's voice over IP (VoIP) calling service. It allows anyone with a recent iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to make free video or audio calls to any other Apple user...

It took FaceTime a long time to start working over cellular, but now that it has it's made it incredibly convenient to talk with your kids while you're walking down an out-of-town street, or check with your partner before buying something for the home or office. Of course, with cellular access...

FaceTime allows you set a caller ID. If you only have one iPhone phone number, or iPod touch, iPad, or Mac email address associated with FaceTime, that'll be your caller ID. If you have several different numbers and addresses associated with FaceTime, however, you can choose one of them to serve...